6 Tips For Room Upgrades On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Everyone loves an upgrade — and they're especially memorable if you booked an inside-stateroom but dream of balcony views or suite indulgences. The good news: Scoring cruise room upgrades is simpler than you think.

You can snag a Royal Caribbean room upgrade in several ways. You can also use loyalty points accrued from previous sailings or apply credit card points to offset part of your cruise fare. Other tactics for scoring cruise room upgrades require a bit of a gamble, including a program called Royal Caribbean Royal Up.

Key Takeaways: Royal Caribbean Cruise Upgrades

● There are several ways to earn a room upgrade on Royal Caribbean cruises, some involving taking a chance and others based on spending points.

● The Royal Caribbean room upgrade program involves bidding on potential room upgrades to different stateroom classes.

● Other options include guarantee bookings, Crown & Anchor® Points, and credit card rewards.

● These systems let you sail in luxury at a bargain price when you book a cruise vacation.

To take advantage of potential upgrades, the best strategy is to book the least-expensive stateroom you'd be content with during your cruise and then plot your way to a next-level upgrade — from an inside to an ocean-view stateroom or an ocean-view to a balcony stateroom, for example. With continued loyalty and a bit of savvy planning, you might even be able to upgrade from a balcony stateroom to an exciting suite. Read on for everything you need to know about upgrades before your next sailing.

1. Bid For A Royal Caribbean Upgrade With Royal Up

There's nothing to lose and a lot to gain with Royal Up, the Royal Caribbean bid-based stateroom upgrade program. Once you've booked your room on any Royal Caribbean sailing, you can see if your cruise is Royal Up eligible. If so, you'll be able to bid for an upgrade to a higher category — everything from ocean-view and balcony cruise staterooms to spacious cruise suites.

The process is simple and straightforward. At some point after you've booked, you'll be invited to browse all available stateroom categories and select a dollar amount you're willing to pay for an upgrade. There will be a minimum bid listed, but it's advantageous to make an offer that's a bit higher than the minimum. You can also bid on multiple staterooms, which increases your Royal Up bid chances. Don't worry: You'll only pay for the one upgrade you are offered.

After placing your bids, watch for an email from Royal Caribbean notifying you that a bid has been accepted. This can happen anytime up to two days before your sailing. You can't reject the upgrade, and you'll be charged immediately for the amount you bid. If your bid isn't accepted, however, you'll keep the stateroom you originally booked and you won't be charged anything extra.

Every Royal Up bid is priced per person based on two people occupying a stateroom. The good news for families or groups of friends sailing in the same stateroom: You'll only be charged extra for the first and second guest, even if you have third, fourth or fifth guests staying with you. That makes bidding on cruise upgrades for the entire family — or a cabin full of your besties — that much sweeter.

2. Book Your Cruise During A Free Upgrade Promotion

3. Gamble On A Guaranteed Stateroom

When you make what's known as a guarantee (GTY) booking with Royal Caribbean, you'll get the lowest price and be guaranteed a room within the category you booked, whether that's interior, ocean-view, balcony or suite.

There's even a chance, depending on which categories of cruise staterooms sell out, that you could be bumped to the next category or even higher. It's a gamble, though, because you don't get to choose your stateroom location and won't know its location until close to your sail date or even until check-in. But if you're a risk-taker or don't particularly care where you sleep, you could find yourself enjoying an unexpected free upgrade. So long, ocean-view and hello, balcony stateroom!

4. Consider Using Crown & Anchor Points

By cruising often with Royal Caribbean and accruing points with its Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, you become eligible for discounts on balcony and suite accommodations; depending on the cruise's length and price, this can be equal to a free upgrade. Discounts begin at the second-level status of Platinum, which is achieved when you earn 30 points, the equivalent of 30 nights in a cabin or 15 nights in a suite. The discounts increase in value with every subsequent level reached. If you book a cruise that's more than six months out, the discount will be greater.

The ultimate score when it comes to upgrades is a free cruise. Crown & Anchor® Society members will receive a Milestone Cruise Certificate for a free sailing for two people in a balcony stateroom when they reach the top-tier status of Pinnacle Club (700 points). A complimentary sailing for two in a junior suite is available at 1,400 points — and then every 350 points thereafter.

5. Use Credit Card Points To Upgrade

6. Track When Prices Drop

If you book a Royal Caribbean cruise and reserve an inside or ocean-view stateroom because a balcony is priced higher, make it a point to track stateroom prices on royalcaribbean.com regularly. You'll need to do this before your voyage's final payment and cancellation date, which is 75 or 90 days before departure, depending on cruise length. If you find a lower price for a balcony, request an upgrade by calling Royal Caribbean customer service or your travel adviser and asking to switch your booking to an available balcony.

Now that you're well-versed in Royal Caribbean bid upgrade tips, it's time to put that know-how to use. Explore cruises and pick out the vacation adventure of your dreams.